Derek Bourgeois (born Kingston upon Thames, 1941) is an English composer. Educated at Cambridge University (honours degree and doctorate), he spent 2 years at the Royal College of Music studying composition with Herbert Howells and conducting with Sir Adrian Boult. From 1970 to 1984 he was a lecturer in music at Bristol University, and then Director of the National Youth Orchestra. He was appointed Director of Music at St Paul's Girls School, London in 1994. He has also conducted various orchestras. He retired to Majorca in 2002, and now focuses exclusively on composing. He has written so far 40 symphonies and the numbers are increasing dramatically as the years go by, 14 concertos, 7 major works for chorus and orchestra, 2 operas, a musical, and music for television. Bourgeois is also much known for his compositions for brass band and wind band, many of which serve as test pieces in the highest level of band competition.
Trivia
Derek Bourgeois wrote all the music for his own wedding. The last piece, originally called Wedding March but published under the name Serenade, was written using an irregular metre, purposely to ensure that his bride (Jean - sadly now dead) could not march in step up the aisle of the church!
